FUKUOKA, Japan -- Daisuke Matsuzaka has signed a contract with the Softbank Hawks of Japan's Pacific League after eight years in Major League Baseball.

The 34-year-old right-hander, who went 3-3 with 78 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA for the New York Mets in 2014, led the Pacific League in wins three times with the Seibu Lions before signing a six-year, $52 million contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2006.

"This is a very solid team," Matsuzaka said at a news conference. "I remember from my days pitching in Japan how difficult they were to face. It should be a very enjoyable team to pitch for."

Terms of Matsuzaka's deal were not released.

In his first season in the majors. Matsuzaka helped Boston win the World Series in 2007. His best season was 2008, when he went 18-3 with 154 strikeouts and a 2.90 ERA but he didn't live up to expectations after that.

He finished 56-43 in 132 careers starts, with a 4.45 ERA.

Each of those wins brought in money for Matsuzaka. The Red Sox paid a $51.1 million posting fee, plus $52 million guaranteed, for Matsuzaka. He won 50 games for them -- which means they paid $2.06 million per win.

Matsuzaka himself (counting his stint with the Mets) pulled in $53.6 million over his career on 56 total wins, meaning he was paid an average of $957,174 per win.

The Hawks won the Japan Series in 2014 and are among the more successful teams in Nippon Professional Baseball.

"As we look to win the championship again, we think he can make a major contribution," Softbank chairman Sadaharu Oh said.

Information from ESPN.com's Darren Rovell and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Oh yeah, yesterday it was the 36th anniversary of the date Pete Rose signed his (then-ridiculous) 4 year $3.2 million contract with the Phillies.

That would now net you a #4 starter.

You are way off. It was 4 years for $3.2 million, or $800,000 a year.
The minimum salary is now $507,500.

I wasn't way off that was a typo! (and now fixed).

And yes at the time it was crazy money still.

That translates to just over $3 million/year in 2014 dollars. Today's salaries are ridiculous, but 3 million seems low for a guy with Rose's talent.

Surprised no one has mentioned that David Robertson is not a Yankee anymore. He took a deal with the White Sox.

The John Lester bidding seems to have reached the point where winning him could potentially be a disaster. 6/150 for a guy who will be 31 on opening day? I know he's built like a horse, but he has a history of cancer too. The smart play here may be to walk away and use that $25m/year on two good pitchers.

Cubs To Sign Jon Lester

By Charlie Wilmoth [December 10, 2014 at 2:51am CST]


The Cubs will have agreed to terms with former Red Sox and Athletics ace Jon Lester, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. Lester will receive six years and $155MM, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports notes (on Twitter). The deal also includes a $15MM vesting option for a seventh year, David Kaplan of CSN Chicago tweets.

"<strongThe Red Sox’ final bid for the ACES client was six years and $135MM, says Passan. It emerged earlier tonight that the Giants and Dodgers were no longer contenders to sign Lester. Via ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes (on Twitter), Giants GM Brian Sabean dismisses reports that his team offered seven years and $168MM, saying they “never got the chance to make our best offer.”

“It feels like we’ve definitely won the baseball lottery,” said new Cubs manager Joe Maddon upon learning of the Lester news, according to New York Daily News’ Andy Martino (via Twitter).

Lester’s free agent status seemed to be holding up a congested pitching market, but for as long as it took for Lester to agree to terms, the six years and $155MM he will receive is about what should have been expected — MLBTR’s Steve Adams predicted last month that Lester would receive a six-year, $153MM deal. The contract will make Lester one of baseball’s richest pitchers, with an AAV of $25.8MM that ranks just ahead of Justin Verlander‘s $25.7MM and behind only Clayton Kershaw‘s $30.7MM.

Pirates are said to be close to signing Francisco Liriano - 3 years, $39M. Just waiting on a physical.

That Lester money is crazy.

No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday by the museum's Golden Era Committee. Tony Oliva and Dick Allen each received 11 of 16 votes, one shy of getting in.

These crazy prices for pitchers makes me very glad the Mets will have a few years of "cheap" young pitching. Lester is good but is he really right for the Cubs? All that money still won't bring them a championship,

I love Jon Lester, but he's not a $150 million pitcher. Plus, who in their right mind gives a 31 year old a 6 year contract with a vesting option. I hope helps brings them a championship because he's a class act and it would be nice to see the Cubs win one. But they are going to regret the last few years of this deal.

I agree,2 years too long.
He is 648th on the career innings pitched list at 1596.
With that contract, he had better average 210 innings a year.
Of the pitchers that had that many innings, only 152 made it to 2856, just over 23%.
I know it is a simplistic way of looking at pitchers, but I think clubs would be better off looking at contract length, and how close the pitcher is to the 2500 career inning mark, and stop guaranteeing money to guys at a time when they start to retire.

What do the BoSox do know?
I hear they are not close on a trade for Hamels, but are close to signing Masterson.
Shields? Scherzer? or go dumpster diving.

There's a lot of talk about the Reds and trading for one of their pitchers. The Reds are apparently looking to move Latos, and the Sox may be looking to see if they can pry Johnny Cueto from them. I'm not in love with the idea of going after Hamels. He's only a year younger than Lester and hasn't had great success against the AL East. His price would be way too high.

There's talk that the pitchers who are in the last year or two of their deals are having an influence on the market, the thought being why pay for some of this year's free agents when they may be able to trade for a better option/fit.

Smiff:

Hamels is a stud.

World Series and NL MVP.

Numbers keep getting better despite a lack of wins from an inept offense.

You should very much want him on your team.

A few appearances against the AL East means nothing.

A career 1.14 WHIP pitching in Citizens Bank Park!

When my good friend Pete speaks, I listen. I'm all in!

Goodbye J-Roll-one of the greatest Phillies ever.

Good luck in LA.

Finally the rebuilding begins.

He could be headed your way (or elsewhere very soon after the Rollins deal Smiff!)

...and the Mets have owned Hamels forever.

I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that Jon Lester got the richest pitcher's contract in the history of major league baseball. I guess timing really is everything.